Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1887-06-25
CHINOOK WIND.
A Phenomenal Aerial Current
OF the North west
Its Sudden Coming Blessing to Blizzard
Stricken Cattle Ranges.

plored the 'tarid region" of the interior,
with the view of writing book in re-
gard to it, gives the following descrip-
ton of the Chinook Wind: The name
Chinook Wind" is applied to an aerial
current from the great Kuro- Siwo of the |
Pacific Ocean. During the winter
months this current of air occasionally
debouches over the crest Of the Rocky
Mountains into the British Northwestern
Provinces, Montana and Wyoming.
Sometimes it extends far south into Col
orado, but seldom much further east
than the western boundary of Dakota
Itis the result Of simultaneous low ba-
rometer east and high barometer west of
the Rockies. The atmospheric change
which it produces is about as marked as
that which one would experience during
the month of January in passing from
Quebec to Key West. The coming of
the Chinook Wind is always sudden,
and somewhat phenomenal. In the
course of two hours the thermometer
may rise from 45e below
to 45e above zero. Occasionally,
when the snow is deep, and the Chinook
Wind has an extensive range and is long
continued, the waters of the melting
SHOWS pour down in torrents into the
Upper Missouri. The river is broken up
and rises above its banks. But as the
swelling food reaches Dakota, it arrives
at point beyond which the influence of
the Chinook Wind has not been felt.
Here the ice is from three to four feet
thick, and as solid as rock. But the
superincumbent waters tear the ice FROM
its fastenings to the shores, and ''war
of the elements" ensues of surprising
grandeur. A gorge is soon formed,
which increases in height until the great
ice-dam gives way, when the whole mass
> moving on, again rips up the solid ice,
which is piled in enormous masses, fifty
to one hundred feet in height, at points
along the bends of the river, until an
ots%er gorge is formed, in its turn to be
burst asunder by the force Of the rising
waters. No railroad bridge, however
strong, could resist the force of one of
these masses of ice.
But the Chinook Wind comes always
as blessing to the far northwestern
cattle ranges. ! Usually it is the "break-
up'' of blizzard. During these dread
full Arctic blasts the cattle retire to the
coulees and sheltered valleys. After
they have cropped the grasses which
rear their heads above the snow, and
have exhausted the supply of sage brush,
and other varieties of the Artemsia
family, the internal source OF heat giving
out, the poor brutes are forced to tramp
for life. Gathering in bands, they list
lessly wander over the vast ranges,
drifting with the bitter blast. Some oil
them have their tails frozen, which drop
off, and their legs become reddencd
with frozen blood. The horns of others
freeze, and in time fall off. The dis
tressed animals below with agony a.
they move on. Cows which have dropped
late calves, and were in no condition te
''go into the winter" usually suceumb
One by one, cow and calf and weak
steer fall by the way, and speedily be
come the prey of wolves and bear
and mountain lions, which all the tim
have hung upon tho TANKS of the re
treating herd, waiting for lone win
drops"
At such time the blessed Chinool
Wind arrives. !. The weary cattle snuff j
from afar, and come to haiti Then, a
the warm air envelopes them, they Ii
down to long sleep. But the pangs 0
hunger are upon them. AS soon as the
are sufficiently rested they start a
once for the ''WInter ranges" Thes
comprise the areas remote from th
streams, which during the long dry sea
son of the summer months have tethere'
them in their grazing. But now tn
Chinook Wind has formed pools fror
the melting SHOWS all over the country
where they may quench their thirst an
Craze where they please. In the abuu
dan. pasturage thus opened up to theE
they feed upon the highly nutrition
grasses peculiar to the arid region, an
are soon reinvigorated. But in th
course of a few days the wind change
An Arctic wave presses back the Ch
nook And now, with well-fIle
stonachs and paunches. the iherd speet
lily seeks shelter, and once md e is force
to undergo the terrible ordeal OF
Northwest blizzard. Frank Leslie'A
It's said that man could easily carr
$40. 600, 900 if the money was IN $40. of